With about 49,000 extant species, Mollusca are the second largest phylum after Arthropoda. The phylum comprises seven extant classes, five of which are locally represented, including bivalves, cephalopods, gastropods, chitons, and tusk shells. Over 780 marine species are been identified in British Columbia, 215 of which have been reported for Galiano Island over the last century and a half, through the combined efforts of 165 individuals.
Since the Biodiversity Galiano project began in 2016, our community has documented 116 mollusc species in the waters around Galiano Island, confirming 65 percent of the historical records and adding 24 new species to the list. Of the 215 species reported for the island, 99 species have not been seen in the last twenty years.
Browse photos of some of the most commonly documented mollusc species, as well as recent observations and top observers, based on iNaturalist data. You can help contribute to the growing record of the island mollusc diversity by submitting your observations to the Biodiversity Galiano iNaturalist project.